We Meet Again
by Neutron Phantom
Summary: They haven't seen each other in years, but they meet again in a grocery store aisle back in Albuquerque. Things have changed for the both of them, some for the better, some for the worse. T/G. Oneshot.


We Meet Again

by Neutron Phantom

**Author's Note:** So, I just wrote this little one shot on a whim in about two hours. I don't know where it came from, but I needed to let it flow. I'm still unsure if I'm satisfied with how I ended it, or if I like the title. I couldn't think of anything else, so I settled with it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** High School Musical and all other trademarked things aren't mine.

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"Gabriella?_ Gabriella Montez?_"

I turned around swiftly on my heels in the spot of the boxed cereal aisle of the grocery store on Main Street in downtown Albuquerque where my name had echoed through the barren walkway; the voice of the man who'd acknowledged me seemed familiar in the back of my mind.

_Too_ familiar.

My eyes glanced over the man's perfectly chiseled features as my eyes reached his face, his bright, curious cerulean eyes sparkling from the fluorescents above, the prominent line of his jaw tense as he waited for my reply.

Holy shit. It was _him._ God, how long had it been? Five, six years? I had to admit, he still looked damn good as ever. I probably shouldn't be thinking things like that about a man I used to date, but I was never one to lie.

"T-Troy Bolton?" I could have sworn my heart sank to the floor with a thud at the sight of him. In reality, it was the box of Lucky Charms I'd loosely gripped in my now-sweaty hands as it hit the white tiles. "Oh my God. What are you doing here?" My tone of voice came across as slightly bitchy, but it didn't seem to faze him. I didn't mean for it to sound that way; I was still in a sight state of shock from his presence. His expression went unchanged, though the corners of his lips had turned up in a slight smile. I felt a sudden twinge to walk up to him and embrace him in a small hug, but I resisted the urge and remained frozen to the floor.

The muscles of his jaw relaxed as he pushed his grocery cart further up the aisle next to mine, the wheels squeaking annoyingly as they rolled across the tiles in dire need of some WD-40. He picked up the red box of marshmallowy cereal I'd dropped near my ballet flat-covered feet and placed it inside my cart. "I should probably be asking you the same thing."

"Yes, but I asked first." Troy's lip curled up a to form a smirk in response to my witty statement, his perfect pearly-whites shining through his lips. "I thought you were coaching high school basketball somewhere in California."

"I am, but my dad wanted me to come down this weekend to run with him and my aunts in the Race for the Cure to support my mom. She's undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, but she's doing a lot better than she was. He made me do a grocery run since he's been with my mom at the hospital for a while, and we were running low on non-expired food."

A lump formed in my throat at the news he'd just told me. His usually bright blue eyes seemed distant as he talked about his ill mother, and I felt a pang of sincere pity for the handsome ex-boyfriend in front of me. "Oh, Troy. I'm so sorry. I didn't know she was diagnosed with cancer… How long has she been fighting it?"

"A little over a year. She used to look so fragile. I didn't even recognize her as my mom. She's gained a lot of her normal weight back, so it's a good thing. She's a fighter. But enough about why I'm in town. Why are _you _back, Gabi? I thought you'd moved to Chicago to start your own law firm."

God, I hadn't heard that nickname in years. I think the last time I heard it was from Troy himself. Most everyone called me Miss Montez or Gabriella or "hey, you" from the occasional coworker who'd never had the decency to learn my name, but Gabi was a Troy Bolton original.

"I do live there. But I'm only back here in Albuquerque for a couple more weeks. We've been planning…" I trailed off, not being able to bring myself to say the words to Troy explaining why I was back at our old stomping grounds. I almost felt as if I would be betraying him by elucidating, but I wasn't quite certain why. I placed my left hand behind my back hoping Troy hadn't noticed the large foreign object that rested on my finger.

His eyebrows furrowed questioningly as he pursed his lips. "Planning what?"

"Um…"

"Come on, Gabi. You can tell me. I told you why I was back here." There he was, playing the I'll-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours game again. He rested his elbow on the bar of the grocery cart, his eyes prying mine for an answer.

I let out a sigh—those blue eyes were still my downfall after all those years—and pulled my hand from the back pocket of my denim skirt, holding it out in front of him. "We've—my mom, Sharpay, and I—been planning my wedding. I'm getting married in a month, Troy."

His warm trembling hand grabbed mine gently as he examined the shining diamond on my ring finger. His face was devoid of any emotion as he let go, but he was able to bring himself to smile softly. "Wow, Gabriella. That's some rock you have there. Must've cost a fortune by the looks of it." I could tell he was putting on a front for me, but I didn't quite understand why. We'd both agreed to move on after college, knowing our chosen career paths would have gotten in the way of our lives together.

My fingers toyed with the silver band absentmindedly. "Yeah. His name is Stephen Holmes. He's a CEO of a large company in Chicago. We met on the subway when I tripped and spilled my caramel macchiato all over his suit." Troy chuckled hollowly; he must have remembered how clumsy I was. I couldn't help but notice how empty his laugh seemed, but maybe I was just thinking too much. I had been known to do that from time to time. "He's a great guy, Troy. Really great. I wish you could meet him, I know you'd like him instantly."

"I'm glad. You deserve someone great. Congratulations, by the way." Troy nodded his head to me before checking his watch. "I guess I'd better get going, I have some more shopping to do."

"Thanks, Troy. It means a lot. It really was nice seeing you." My fingers brushed the back of his hand as it gripped the grocery cart's handlebar tightly in a sincere, platonic gesture. He threw a half-hearted smile in my direction, one that didn't touch his eyes.

"You too, Gabi. Take care, and good luck with everything."

"Tell your mother I wish her the best."

"Will do. See you around, Gabriella Montez."

"Goodbye, Troy Bolton."

That was the last time I'd ever cross paths with Troy. I'd wished to see him one more time, just to show him how happy I truly was, so I'd told Sharpay to send him an invitation to the wedding ceremony. When he didn't show up to either the ceremony or the reception, I finally came to the realization that maybe he wasn't exactly ready to be part of my life again. Maybe he never would be.

I'll always remember that day at the Albuquerque Grocery Mart, the day that Troy came back into my life, if only for fifteen minutes. But those fifteen minutes would someday be replaced with new memories of my life as Gabriella Montez-Holmes.

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Well, there you have it. What do you guys think? Good? Bad? Completely horrible? Review and let me know. :]

I promise I'll have the next chapter of Love Remembers up as soon as I can! I'm stuck at a certain point in it, but I'm sure I can work out the kinks. Thank you all for your reviews on that story; it's what keeps me motivated to write.


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